Apparatus for drilling mine-roof-bolt holes



@et 9, 1956 R. F. HALE APPARATUS FOR DRILLING MINE -ROOF-BOLT HOLES s sheets-shea 1 'Filed May 20, 1949 oct. 9, 1956 R. F. HALE mm2 APPARATUS FOR DRILLING MINE-RooF-BOLT HOLES Filed May 20, 1949 3 SheS-Shee 2 Get. 9, 1956 R. F. HALE 2,765,012

APPARATUS FOR DRILLING MINE-RooF-BOLT ,HOLES Filed May 20, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ez'g. 7

W* "iff APPARATUS FR DRHLLDJG MllNE-AQF-BOLT HLES Ralph Fletcher Hale, Claremont, N. H., assigner to .Foy Manufacturing Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corpora tion of Pennsylvania Application May 26, 1949, Serial N o. 94,369 9 Claims. (Cl. 2S5-51) ri`his invention relates to drilling apparatus more particularly to rotary drills especially designed lfor use in drilling roof-bolt or pin holes in the roof strata of an underground mine or other subterranean excavation.

In underground mines or other subterranean excavations it is usually necessary to support the roof against roof falls or cave-ins, .and it is .becoming the customary practice to support the roof by cross beams held in place by roof .bolts or pins anchored in holes drilled inthe rooof strata. Various forms of drills have rbeen devised -for drilling bolt or pin holes in the roof strata and the present invention contemplates improvements over known types of drills in that Ithe drilling tool is constructed and is adjustably supported in an improved manner enabling drilling in the relatively restricted spaces and low head room frequently encountered in underground workings. The drilling tool of the .present invention is relatively simple in design, extremely compact and light in weight and is adapted for association with the supporting structure and the power source of a conventional drilling tool for drilling blast holes in the working face, and is mounted in a novel manner on the blast hole drilling tool.

An object of the present invention is -to provide an improved drilling apparatus. Another object is to provide an improved drilling tool for drilling holes in the roof strata of an underground mine or other subterranean excavation. A further object is to provide an improved drilling tool for drilling holes in the roof strata of an underground mine or excavation for receiving suspension bolts or pins for supporting the cross beams against the roof. A still further object is to provide an improved adjust-able supporting structure for such a -drilling tool. Another object is to provide an improved roof-bolt drilling tool which is associated in a novel manner with a drilling ltool Afor drilling blast holes in the working face. A further object is to provide .a pair `of drilling tools arranged in right angular relation and provided with a common support and `a common source of power. Still another object is to provide an improved hydraulically operated drilling tool having novel features of construction and -novel mounting means. These and other Iobjects and advantages of the invention will, however, hereinafter more fully appear.

In the laccompanying drawings there is shown for purposes of illustration one form which the invention may assume in practice.

y'In these drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational View of a drilling apparatus in which the improved roofabolt drilling tool is embodied.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the improved drilling tool and a portion of its associated supporting structure.

Fig, 3 is a detail sectional view taken through the swiveled drill mounting at the outer end of the boom.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 4 4 of Fig. 2, showing details of the bolt-hole drilling tool per se.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 Iis a horizontal sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is a ydiagrammatic view showing the hydraulic system and the :associated -control valve means.

In this illustrative construction, as shown in the drawings, the improved drill-ing tool for drilling roof-bolt or pin holes 1in the roof strata is generally designated 1 and is shown yassociated with a drilling tool 2 for drilling blast holes in the working face. The drilling tools are permanently arranged in righ-t angular relation and are mounted on an adjustable supporting structure 3 carried by a mobile Ibase 4.

The drilling tool 2 for drilling blast holes may be of a type Igenerally simil-ar to that disclosed in a copending application to -Ray A. Lehner Serial No. 584,608, tiled March 24, 1945, now matured into Patent No. 2,491,273, granted yDecember 13, 1949, and comprises la Itubular support or arm l5 -swiveled at 6 on a support 7. `Carried at the front end of the tubular support is a casing S which encloses speed reducing gearing for connecting ,a conventional hydraulic motor 9 to a drill spindle 1l). This spindle may `be rotated by the motor 9 through the speed reducing gearing 'contained in the casing 'S and carries a usual :chuck 1li Afor receiving the shank of a conven tional auger -drill steel. The tubular support 5, as described in the above mentioned application, encloses a hydraulic feed motor of the cylinder and piston type for feeding the drill spindle 10 in an axial direction `as it is rotated. The improved :roof-bolt drilling tool 1 is mounted on the gear casing 8 of the drilling tool 2 at one side of the latter in a novel manner as later described.

The support 7 is swivelled -at 15 on a :cylindrical portion 16 of la rotatable support 17 with its swivel axis disposed at right angles to the swivel axis 6. The support 7 has an annular flange 18 which is hel-d in position by a split retaining ring 19 Isecured as by screws to the rotatable support 117. Threaded within the rotatable support 7 is a locking screw 20 having an operating handle 21 and this screw when tightened is engageable with the cylindrical portion 16 to lock the swivelled support 7 in adjusted position. The rotatable support 17 is journaled in'bearings 22, 22 (Fig. 3) carried by 1a frame 23 `secured to the outer end Iof `an elongated boom 24 and is rotatable on its bear-ings `about the longitudinal axis of the boom. Carried by the frame '23 is a `conventional hydraulic motor 25 having its power shaft connected through conventional reduction gearing lto a worm shaft 26 (Fig. 3) which carries a worm 27 meshing with a worm wheel 28 keyed to the rotatable support 17. The swivel support 7 is provided with spaced arms 29 having bores 3Q lfor receiving trunnions 131 integral with a lcollar 32 secured to the tubular support 5. A locking screw 34 is threaded within an opening in one of the side arms 29 of `the swivelled frame 7 and has an operating handle 3S and 4this screw when tightened is engageable with a plane surface formed on the adjacent side of the coll-ar 32 for securing the tubular support :5 in adjusted position on its swivel. The rearward portion of the boom 24 is mounted in .a frame 36 which lis pivoted at 37 on :a lliorizontal axis to `swing in vertical planes .relative to a horizontal turntable 138. This turntable is rotatably mounted to turn about `an [upright axis on a frame S9 ofthe mobile base y4 and may be provided with power `operated rotating means. Hydraulic jacks 40 are arranged between the turntable and the swingable frame "36 for swinging the boom 24 i-n vertical planes about its pivot. The tubular 4suppor-t '5 carries `a valve device 42 for controlling the flow of liquid under pressure to the feeding motor for the drill spindle 10 of the drilling tool 2. `Since the structure above described is generally like that of the application above referred to detail description and illustration thereof are herein unnecessary. The blast hole drilling tool 2 may be adjusted into different elevated 'and horizontal positions by swinging the boom 24 either vertically or horizontally on its pivotal mounting and may be swivelled in any desired plane about the three swivels described at the outer extremity of the boom, so that drilling may be effected vat any desired location in the working face.

Now referring to the specific structure of the drilling tool 1 for drilling the holes in the roof strata for lreceiving the roof-bolts or pins, it will be noted that a frame 44 carries vertical pins 4'5 which are received in parallel holes 46 in a frame 47 suitably secured to one side of the `gear casing t8. The frame 44 has .an abutment surface S which rests on the -top -of the frame 47 when the pins are seated in the holes 46, as shown in Fig. 4. The drilling tool i1 is shown in a vertical drilling position and the frame 44 carries at its outer side a conventional hydraulic motor 48. This motor has a spur gear 49 (Fig. 4) keyed to its power shaft 50 and the gear 49 meshes with a large spur gear 4511 having its hub 52 journaled in bearings 53, 53 suitably supported within the frame 44. A vertical cylinder 454 is arranged coaxial with the gear 51 .and is splined at '55 -to the gear hub, and has a lower head 56 guided in a vertical bore 57 of 'a tubular housing 58. This housing is secured at its upper end within the frame 44 and extends downwardly below the frame in the manner shown. Contained in a bore S9 of the cylinder 54 is `a stationary feed piston 60 having its tubular piston rod '6-1 extending downwardly through the cylinder 54 and secured at its lower end at 62 within a cap 63 suitably secured to the lower end of the tubular housing T58. Threadedly scoured at 64 within the feed piston is -a tube 65 which extends .axially through the tubular piston rod `and is secured at its lower end at 66 to the cap 63. The cap is formed with .a bottom point 67 which may engage the mine door when the drilling tool is in its lowered position thereby to steady the ltool during the drilling operation. Formed in the cap are fluid passages 69 and 70 (Fig. `6), the former communicating through a port 7-1 with the interior of the piston rod 61 and the latter communicating through a port 72 with a chamber 73 within the cap. The lower end of the tube 6'5 communicates with the chamber 73. A port 74 -in the upper portion of the piston rod connects the interior of the latter with the cylinder bore beneath the feed piston 60. The upper end of the tube 65 communica-tes with an axial passage 75 in the piston, :and this axial passage leads to the .cylinder bore above the feed piston. Secured in the bore of the feed cylinder '4 at the upper end of the latter lis a 4chuck sleeve 76 having a sock-et 77 for receiving the shank 78 of `a sectional drill steel 79. Secured to the upper end of the drill steel is a conventional drill bit 80. The steel shank 78 is of polygonal shape in cross section and the socket is corresoondingly shaped so that the chuck sleeve 76 and the drill steel rotate together. Thus when liquid under pressure is supplied to one or the other of the passages 69 and 70, in a manner to be later described, the feed cylinder together with the drill steel may be fed forwardly or the feed cylinder may be retracted as desired. The fluid supply for the motor and feed cylinder of the drilling tool 1, and the control valve means therefor, are fully disclosed in the above mentioned Lehner application.

The lhydraulic system shown in Fig. 7 comprises a motor driven liquid pump 82 carried by lthe base and having Iits suction side connected by a conduit 83 to a liquid tank 84. The discharge side of the pum-p is connected by a conduit 815 to the pressure passage -of a conventional valve box 86. The discharge passage of the valve box is connected by a cond-uit 87 back to the tank. The valve box has parallel bores which receive conventional slide valves `88 and S9 having usual operating handles. The

bore containing the slide valve 88 is connected 'by conduits `90 and 91 to the opposite sides of the rotation motor l4S while the bore ycontaining the slide valve 89 is connected by conduits 92 and 93 to the passages 69 and 70 respectively of the feed motor. When ui-d under pressure is supplied to the conduit 93 it may ow through passage 70 yand the tube 65 to the front end of the feed cylinder in advance of the Ipist-on 60, -thereby Ito effect ttorward feeding movement of the feed cylinder. When the conduit -93 is connected to exhaust and pressure flu-id is applied to the conduit 92 it may flow through passage 69 and the hollow piston rod 61 to the yfeed cylinder at the rear side of the piston '60, thereby to effect retraction of the feed cylinder. Connected in the conduits 90 and 93 are conventional automatic volume control valves 94- and 95 respectively connected by conduits 96 and 97 to the return conduit 37 which leads back to the tank. These automatic volume control valves .limit the maximum volume which can pass to the rotation and feed motors in a given unit of time, regardless of the pressure conditions, and serve to preclude the delivery of the full output of the pump to either motor so that either motor may be protected against being robbed of pressure by .the other as the loads on the motors vary. A drain conduit 98 leads from the rotation motor 48 to the return conduit "87 so that any leakage of liquid may be drained back to the tank. The discharge side of the pump 82 is .also connected to the control valve device '-42 :for the feed motor of the drilling tool 2 and to a valve device which controls the rotation motor 9 so that a common hydraulic system for the drilling tools 1 and 2 is afforded. yThe 'automatic volume control valves may be of a type similar to that fully disclosed in a patent to Vickers No. 2,272,684, granted February l0, 1942.

The drilling tool 2 is operative to drill blast holes in the working face at any desired location and during the blast hole drilling operation the bolt-hole drilling tool 1 is detached from the blast hole drilling tool and laid to one side. When it is desired to drill holes in the roof strata for receiving the suspension bolts or pins the auger drill steel is removed from the chuck 11 of the blast hole drilling tool and the drilling tool 1 is Iattached to the drilling tool 2 simply by inserting the pins 45 in the holes 46 of the supporting frame 47. The boorn 24 may be adjusted by the hydraulic jacks 40 to locate the drilling tool 1 a't the desired elevation and the turntable 38 may be suitably rotated to swing the boom laterally to locate the drilling tool 1 in the desired horizontal position. 'By operating the motor 25 the support 17 may be rolled about the longitudinal axis of the boom to locate the drilling tool in different inclined positions at either side of the boom. The locking screws 20 and 34 may be released and the 1tubular support 5 by which the drilling tool 1 is carried may be adjusted `about the rectangularly related swivel axes with respect to the rotary support 17 and thereafter the screws may be tightened to clamp the parts in adjusted position. Thus by mounting the bolthole drilling tool l on the tubular support 5 of the blasthole drilling tool 2 a wide range of adjustment is provided thus enabling the bolt-'hole drilling tool to drill holes in the roof strata not only in -a vertical direction but also at different angles with respect to the vertical as desired. The rotation motor 48 may be operated under the control of the slide valve 855 to effect rapid rotation of the cylinder 54 together with the drill steel, and the feed motor may be operated under `the control of the slide valve 89 to feed the feed cylinder together with the drill steel toward the work as the drill steel is rapidly rotated 'to effect drilling, and to retract the feed cylinder from lthe work. Evidently, the drilling tools 1 and 2 may, under certain conditions, be operated concurrently to drill holes simultaneously in the working face yand mine roof.

As a result of this nivention an improved drilling apparatus is provided whereby holes may be drilled in the working face and in the roof strata by means of drilling rtools permanently arranged in right` angular relation and having common supporting means and a common source of power. By mounting the roof bolt drilling tool on the drilling tool for drilling blast holes a structure relatively simple in design, extremely compact and light in weight is provided. By utilizing the adjustable supporting structure for the blast hole drilling tool for supporting the bolt hole drilling tool both the blast hole drilling and the roof-bolt drilling functions are made possible by means of a unitary structure. By detachably mounting the roof bolt drilling tool on the blast hole drilling tool the bolt hole drilling 'tool may be readily ydetached during the blast hole drilling operation. Further by the provision of the structure disclosed, a drilling tool for drill-ing bolt or pin holes in the roof strata is provided, which is a simple attachment to .a conventional blast hole drilling tool, thus obviating the need of separate pieces of drilling equipment for performing the separate functions specified. Other uses and advantages o-f the invention will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

While there is in this application specifically desc-ribed one form which the invention may assume in practice, it will be understood that this form is shown for purposes of illustration only and that the invention may be modified and embodied in various other forms without departing from its spirit o-r ythe scope of the appended claims.

What 'I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. ln a drilling apparatus, 'the combination comprising a support having parallel vertical bores providing a vertical slideway, a frame having parallel pins receivable in said bores, said pins readily removable upwardly from said support, a moto-r carried by said frame, said frame having an abutment surface which res-ts on said support when said pins are received in said bores, means driven by said motor for rotating a drilling implement, .and feeding means for said drilling implement including feeding elements extending downwardly a substan-tial distance below said frame in parallelism with said slideway.

2. `In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising an adjustable support, a frame mounted on said support, a motor carried by said frame, means driven by said motor for rotating a drilling implement, and feeding means for said drilling implement for feeding the lat-ter axially relative to said frame comprising feeding elements extending vertically downwardly a substantial distance below said frame, and a tubular support secured to said frame and in which said feeding elements are housed, said tubular support provided with a bot-tom tloor engaging abutment for 'steadying the drilling tool during the drilling operation.

3. A drilling apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said motor and said feeding means are fluid operated, and a power source and manually operable contr-ol valve means are provided whereby fluid under pressure may be supplied to said motor and said feeding means and may be manually regulated, said control valve means carried by said adjustable supp-ort and having operator controllable regulating means.

4. ln a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a support providing a vertical slideway and having an upwardly facing surface, and a unitary drilling tool comprising a frame having a downward projection received in said slideway and readily removable upwardly from said support upon removal of the tool, said frame having a downwardly facing surface resting on said supportsurface during the drilling operation, said tool comprising a motor carried by said frame, means driven by said motor for rotating a drilling implement and feeding means for the drilling implement for feeding the latter axially -rela-tive :to said support and said frame during -drilling including feeding elements extending downwardly a substantial distance below said frame in parallelism with said slideway, said tool having its major portion '6 disposed below said support-surface during vertical loverhead drilling.

5. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a base, a horizontal turntable carried by said base, a boom pivotally mounted on said turntable to swing in vertical planes with respect thereto, a support mounted at the outer extremity of said boom for rotation about the longitudinal axis of said boom, an elongated arm pivotally mounted on said support to swing in planes parallel to a plane which includes the longitudinal axis of said boom, said arm projecting forwardly a substantial distance in advance of said rotatable support, and a unitary drilling tool detachably carried by the outer portion of said arm with its longitudinal axis disposed at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said arm, said drilling tool comprising a drilling implement, a motor for rotating the implement and feeding means for feeding the drilling implement relative to said arm and said boom while the latter remain stationary, said tool being removable as a unit from said arm, said support being rotatable relative to said boom to locate said arm in different lateral tilted positions thereby to vary the angular position of said tool.

6. A drilling apparatus as set forth in claim 5 wherein a second support is mounted on said rotatable support to turn relative thereto about an axis at right angles to said support axis, and said elongated drill carrying arm is pivotally mounted to swing as aforesaid on said second support, said second support being swingable about its pivot relative to said rotatable support to tilt said arm together with said tool in longitudinal planes.

7. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a base, a horizontal turntable on said base, a boom pivotally mounted on said turntable to swing in a vertical direction relative thereto, a support mounted at the outer end of said boom to rotate about the longitudinal axis of said boom, a support carried by said rotatable support to turn about an axis at right angles to the axis of support rotation, an arm pivotally mounted on said second support to swing about an axis at right angles to the axis of said second support, and a unitary drilling tool detachably carried by said arm and arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said arm, said tool removable as a unit from said arm and embodying a motor, a drilling implement driven by said motor and feeding means for the drilling implement for feeding the latter relative to said booml and arm irrespective of the adjusted positions thereof, said rotatable support and said second support being adjustable about their respective axes to tilt said arm to vary the angular positions of said tool.

8. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising an adjustable supporting structure including a boom swingable in horizontal and vertical directions, a support mounted at the outer end of said boom to rotate about the longitudinal axis of said boom, a second support swivelled on said rst support to turn about an axis at right angles to the axis of support rotation, an arm pivotally mounted on said second support to rock relative thereto about an axis at right angles to said axis of said second support, a frame carried by said arm at its outer end and having a lateral projection, and a unitary drilling tool detachably mounted on said lateral projection with its axis arranged at right angles to the longitudinal axis of said arm for drilling holes in the roof, said tool removable as a unit from said frame-projection and embodying a motor, a drilling implement driven by said motor and feeding means for the drilling implement for feeding the latter relative to said boom and arm in any adjusted positions thereof, said supports adjustable about their respective axes to tilt said arm and frame to vary the angular positions of the tool.

9. In a drilling apparatus, the combination comprising a support providing a vertical slideway and having an upwardly facing plane surface, and a unitary drilling tool detachably mounted on said support and comprising a frame having a projection received in said slideway, said tool-frame having a downwardly facing plane surface resting on said support-surface when said tool is in drilling position, whereby said tool may rest on said support during its operation and may be readily bodily lifted vertically from said support, said tool having a motor carried by said frame, means driven by said motor for rotating a drilling implement and feeding means for said drilling implement for axially feeding the latter relative to said support and said frame including feeding elements extending downwardly a substantial distance below said frame in parallelism with said slideway, said tool having its major portion disposed below said support-surface when supported in drilling position.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 549,849 Downs Nov. 12, 1895 8 Kelly et al. June l, 1897 Rhodes May 24, 1898 Langbein June 25, 1901 Locke Sept. 21, 1915 Bradley Mar. 30, 1920 Booker Feb. 9, 1926 Fowler Mar. 18, 1930 Hart Aug. 3, 1937 Holmes July 19, 1938 Mitchell July 18, 1939 Manning Aug. 30, 1949 Lehner Dec. 13, 1949 Beltz Nov. 28, 1950 Curtis et al. Oct. 21, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Mar. 4, 1921 

